P.H. Polk Photographs
* Images used with permission from Tuskegee University Archives

Everyday Mobile: A Candid Portrait Photography Contest

In partnership with Alabama Contemporary Art Center


CONTEST IS CLOSED. Thank you for all the entries! Winners will be announced on Monday, March 22.


Winning photographs will articulate the theme “Everyday Mobile,” reflect the tone and technique of P.H. Polk’s photography and be a black and white, candid photograph containing one or more people. Photographs will be displayed in our virtual gallery. Names of artists will be added after judging is completed.

Rules:

  • You must be 18 years or older to enter.
  • You must live in Mobile or surrounding counties.
  • Contest entries must be submitted to the online form.
  • Contest opens on Feb. 12 at 9 a.m. and closes at midnight on Feb. 28.
  • Photos must be black and white, and candid rather than staged.
  • File format: either JPEG or PNG
  • Image format: aspect ratio of 4x3 and a minimum pixel size of 1024 x 768.
  • Photo must be the artist’s original work.
  • One entry per person.

Winners announced on March 22, 2021. Top Winner will receive a $50 Visa gift card and a swag bag of items donated by businesses and organizations in the Mobile Arts Community. Two honorable mentions will receive a swag bag.

Scoring:

The contest will be scored by a panel of five judges. Scores will be based upon the following four criteria, using a scale of 0-10 for each category with a maximum possible score of 40. The judges’ score are then added together for each entry, with a total maximum possible of 200 points.

  • Lighting: How the lighting was used to create mood and enhance the ‘story’.
  • Subject Matter: Is the subject of the photo well chosen? Does the photo tell a story of everyday Mobile?
  • Composition: How well is the picture framed to convey the artist’s point of view?
  • Reflection of Polk: How effectively and creatively does the photo reflect the artistic legacy of P. H. Polk?

Judges:

  • Margarita Skiadas, MFA, Assistant Professor of Photography, Department of Visual Arts, University of South Alabama
  • Elizabet Elliott, Executive Director/Curator, Alabama Contemporary Art Center
  • Karlos F. Finley, Municipal Judge, City of Mobile, K. Fitzgerald Finkey Firm, P.C.
  • Phyllis Jeffery, Librarian (retired)
  • Kern Jackson, Assistant Professor, Director of the African American Studies Program, University of South Alabama

For more information and questions please call Gina Wilson at 251.340.8550 or gwilson@mplonline.org.